Lab Manual of ‘Linear Circuit Analysis’

EXPERIMENT 4 Date Perform: _________

Roll No. _______________

To Demonstrate Kirchhoff's Voltage Law & Current Law

OBJECTIVE:
 To verify Kirchhoff’s Voltage Law (KVL) through measurements.
 To verify Kirchhoff’s Current Law (KCL) through measurements.
 To validate analysis/measurement through Power Check.

EQUIPMENT:
1. Digital Multimeter (DMM)
2. Breadboard
3. DC Power Supply
 Resistors (1.5K, 2.2K, 2.7K,1K,3.3K)
5. Connecting Wires

BACKGROUND:

The foundations of Circuit Analysis are based on 4 basic concepts. These are:
1. Passive sign convention
2. Ohm's Law
3. Kirchhoff's Laws (KVL and KCL)
4. Power Check

In the Lab session # 03, you verified Ohm's law through measurements. This lab session is to verify
the Kirchhoff's Voltage Law (KVL) and Kirchhoff's Current Law (KCL). Once all the voltages and
currents in a circuit are known, the Power Check can be employed to know if the
computed/measured values are indeed correct or not. Here is a brief introduction about these vital
concepts:

Passive Sign Convention:

A voltage between two points in a circuit is specified by a value as well as a reference polarity
(marking a terminal as + and the other as -) which can be marked arbitrarily (randomly).

A current through an element in a circuit is specified by a value as well as a reference direction

(marked by an arrow) which can be marked arbitrarily (randomly).

The passive sign convention (psc) is said to be fulfilled if the current reference direction and the
voltage reference polarity are such that the current enters the element from the + end. As a
mnemonic to remember psc engrave →e+ in your minds.

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Ohm's Law:
The voltage across a resistor is given by the product of the current through the resistor and its
resistance, if, the passive sign convention is fulfilled.
=
Otherwise a negative sign is used if psc is not fulfilled.
=−

Kirchhoff’s Laws:
Before knowing Kirchhoff's laws know that a node is defined as a point (or part) of a circuit where 2
or more elements join and a loop is defined as any closed path in the circuit (without passing a node
twice).

Kirchhoff’s Voltage Law:

Sum of all the voltage drops in a loop is zero.

=0

We take drops as positive and rises as negative. This is unintuitive but becomes convenient when
you just use the sign of the polarity at which point you enter an element when traversing a loop.
Traversal direction does not matter.

Kirchhoff’s Current Law:

Sum of all the currents entering a node is zero.

=0

We take currents entering the node as positive and leaving the node as negative. This is intuitive.

Power Check:
Sum of all the power consumed in a circuit (closed system) is zero.

=0

We take power consumed as positive and power generated as negative. This is unintuitive but in line
with the convention. So, a resistor always has a positive value of power attached to it (as it cannot
generate power).
This is an excellent way of knowing if the computations are correct or not.

Measuring Supply Current:

By now you should have learnt being careful in measuring supply current.

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Do not connect ammeter ACROSS supply to measure supply current. To measure current of the
supply connect the ammeter in series with one of the wires coming from the supply.

Using mutliple Voltage Sources in the same circuit:

We can use up to 3 different Voltage Sources in the same circuit. The DC power supply available on
your bench, contains three different outlets, except that one (the right most) has a fixed voltage of
5V.

Note: In case, there are not sufficient number of leads to connect the power in your circuit, use
jumper wire to connect it appropriately. Furthermore, be careful not to short the source terminals
together. A red light WARNS about a short circuit which must be quickly sorted out before the
supply is damaged (or its fuse blows).

Current Sources:
Current Sources do not exist in nature. Good practical ones are hard to make and have limitations.
Current sources are thus more of a mathematical model. In lab, we rarely use a Current Source.

LAB TASK:

Circuit # 1: Learn how to apply KVL and KCL. Verify through measurements.

This part is meant to make you understand KVL and KCL on simple circuits before moving to a
slightly complicated circuit. Where R1 = 1.5KΩ, R2 = 2.2K Ω, R3 = 2.7K Ω and VS = 10V

KVL:
Make the following circuit on
breadboard. Note the polarity mark for
V2 is different than the rest. Be careful.

Figure 4.1

KVL states that:

− + − + =0

Plug in measured values into the equation above and verify it:
− + − + =0

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KCL:
Make the following circuit on breadboard. Choose
any values of R1, R2, R3 and VS (can be the same as
above). Note the direction mark for I3 is different
than the rest. Be careful.

Figure 4.2

KCL states that:

+ − − + =0

Plug in measured values into the equation above and verify it:
+ − − + =0

Now for the circuit given below, understand the analysis already done for you using the 4 basic
concepts given above. Then make measurements on a prototype circuit built on a breadboard to
verify the analysis. Record your measurements. Once done, use the Power Check on measured
values to validate them.

Figure 4.3

Let

=1 , = 2.2 , = 3.3 , = 10 , =5

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This circuit has 4 nodes and 3 loops. So, 4 equations for KCL and 3 equations for KVL can be
written. But generally, we do not need to write all the equations. We only write as many are
required.

Figure 4.4

Let us write the KVL equation for Loop 1, Loop 2 and Loop 3 respectively:

−10 + 1 − 2 =0 ---------------------------- (1)

+2 + 3 − 5 = 0 ---------------------------- (2)

−10 + 1 + 3 − 5 = 0 ---------------------------- (3)

If we add equations (1) and (2) we get equation (3). From our high school knowledge, we know that
if there are 3 unknowns we need 3 independent equations to be able to find their values. Equation (3)
does not qualify to be a proper equation (because it can be obtained from the other two and hence is
not independent).

The third equation comes from applying KCL at node marked N.

+ + − =0 ---------------------------- (4)

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Solve these 3 equations [(1), (2) and (4)] simultaneously to arrive to the given values:

Calculated (mA) Measured (mA) Same?

= 5.454

= −2.273

= 3.181

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Power Check:

In order to make sure that the values are correctly computed (measured), we perform a power check.
For each of the 5 elements in the circuit, we calculate the power and fill the table below:

Element Power Formula Power (mW) Measured Measured Power (mW) Same?
R (kΩ) Current Measured
(mA) Values

= − = −54.54 --xxxx-- _______ = _____ ______

= − = −15.91 --xxxx-- _______ = _____ ______

= = +29.75 _______ _______ = _____ ______

= = +10.33 _______ _______ = _____ ______

= = +30.36 _______ _______ = _____ ______

Circuit # 2: Learn by applying KVL and KCL. Verify through measurements.

Based on your learning from Circuit # 1, please do
the analysis and verification for the following
circuit by yourself.

Figure 4.5

Take the same values for the elements, i.e.:

=1 , = 2.2 , = 3.3 , = 10 , =5

How many number of nodes are there: ___________

Now many loops are there: _____________________

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Use KVL, KCL, Ohm's law and psc to solve for the currents through all elements (mark any
convenient directions for the currents called IA, IB, I1, I2 and I3):

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Table2: Current calculations and measurements of circuit 2

Calculated (mA) Measured (mA) Same?

Power Check:

Finally run the Power Check on both calculated as well as measured values:

Table3: Power calculations and measurements of circuit 2

Element Power Formula Power (mW) Measured Measured Power (mW) Same?
R (kΩ) Current Measured
(mA) Values

= ________ = _______ --xxxx-- _______ = ________ ______

= ________ =_______ --xxxx-- _______ = ________ ______

= ________ =_______ _______ _______ = ________ ______

= ________ =_______ _______ _______ = ________ ______

= ________ =_______ _______ _______ = ________ ______

Effect of R2:

Find how the rest of the circuit (specifically IA, IB, I1, I3) is impacted if the resistor R2 is removed.

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Circuit # 3: For different circuit configurations of your choice, analyze and verify.
This is the best time to correct your basic circuit concepts. Make simple as well as complex networks
and verify your theoretical concepts. Draw each circuit with values of the resistor(s) and value(s) of
the voltage source(s). Show your analysis to find a calculated value and verify by measuring it.
Show a couple of such circuits to your lab instructor. Make sure, before you leave today's lab, you
have your concepts about KVL and KCL cleared.

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 Lab Manual of ‘Linear Circuit Analysis’

EL-115 LINEAR CIRCUIT ANALYSIS LAB

To acquire practical knowledge about basic circuit elements, DC and AC circuits, and
verification of theoretical concepts and laws.
CLO Statement ↓ Exemplary Proficient Developing Beginning Novice
Score → (5) (4) (3) (2) (1)

Behave Takes Completes Needs help Needs help

responsibly ownership of assigned from group from others Does not
1 within team, the group and task(s) on member to group to work
and perform the helps other time without complete complete
experiment group any help assigned assigned
safely member as task(s) task
well

To demonstrate Correctly Correctly Partially Poorly

color code and verifies the verifies the verifies the verifies the
Does not
3 V-I resistance resistance resistance resistance
work
characteristics color code color code color code color code
of resistor and and but partially and partially and have no
different circuit completely addresses the addresses the theoretical
solving addresses the manual manual knowledge
techniques. manual of the
concept

CLO MARKS OBTAINED

1
3

Instructor’s Signature: __________________________

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